belbin



PATENTED JUNE 2, 1868.

LR E.D mm m GY v o I {Emmi 254/ i {aims attnt ffi C. '1. B ELBIN, OF BAL I.IMORE, MARYLAND.

Letters Potent-No. 18,509, dated June 2,1868.

msovsueirr m ossrse eerness.

TO ALL WHOM 1'1. MAY-CONGEBNz I -Be it ltllOWIl that I, C. T. BBLBIN, the city and county of Bailtiinormund State of Maryland, haveinvented a new and improved Oyster-Dredge; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the some, reference being bad to the ennexed drawings, making a. part of this specification, in which-- Figure 1 is a. perspective view.

Figure 2 is a. detached view of eu d of the rake-heed, showing the method of connecting the draught-rods to the head.

This inventionrelates to the old-fashioned oyster-dredge, and consists in a new method of attaching the lower draught-rods ,to the head, whereby the instrument is made to operate to better advantage, while its cost of construction is much less.- I

In the drawings, A A represent the two lower, and, B B thetwo upper draught-rods, and Die the link that connects them at their forward end, where the rope is attached by which the instrument is operated. E is abraee, connecting and'supporting the two upper draught-rods, and C' is the rake-head, provided with teeth ace. All these parts are to be found in the old form of the dredge, operating in general in the sememanner. My improvement relates solely to devices which I will now describe and eirplain.

It will he observed that the upper drought-rod bends over the mike-heed, and is bolted ,to the rear side of the latter, near its upper edge, by a bolt and nut, m, in the manner shown in fig. 2. In the dredges hitherto in use, the lower draught-rods are attached to the headby the same bolt m. This brings the lower rods ut the upper edge of the ruke-head, leaving the teeth 0 c c projecting, below them, in, such a manner that when the instrument is being brought over the roller,'on.the gunwsle of the vessel, theteeth catch the roller and prevent the dredge being hauled on board the vessel. Many expedients have been resorted to in order to obviate this diifieulty, but all of them have to a. greater or less extent complicated the instrument, and produced other inconveniences in the place of the one they wereintended to remedy, besides adding to the cost of the whole apparatus.

I completely obviate all difliculties, however, by welding is lug, e, on the end ot' the mire-head, extending down in'the same direction as the teeth, and bolting the lower drought-rod to the lower end of the'lug, through 'a bentup car, a, on the end of the rod, as-shown clearly in fig. 2, using a'bolt and nut, n, for the purpose, similar to that shown at m.' When the instrument is brought over. the roller on the g unwule of the vessel, it's whole weight rests on thelower rods A A, which prevent the teetheatching the roller, and allow the dredge to be hauled on board the vessel.

Thedredge can be constructed in this manner at a. less cost than by the method now in use. It is much more durable endless liiible to get out of order, for the reason, in the first pluce, that the lower rods,-being the main part of the dredge, do not require the complication of an attachment, as in the old method. Another ddvo utuge of thefimprovement isthat said rods act with more force at the end of the ears or'lcrers b 0, than when attached iii; the upper edge-of the head, where the leverage of the-teeth is against them; and in the third place the two eittro screw-bolts and nuts in the rake-head equalize the strain when the dredge is in action on, the oyster-rack, and prevent the loosening ofthe nuts, in consequence of 'the irregular, jerking action -u'hich takes piece as the vessel drags the dredge along the uneven surface of the bed of the rivet-or huyin which it is used.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combinotion'of the two bolts-mend n, with the lug 0, the rods A and B, s.nd the head 0, when all said parts are combined and arranged so as to operate together, substantially in the manner and for the purposes set forth.

' C: '1. BELBIN...

Witnesses:

HENRY Wmrzn, J. F. ENOMS. 

